Diving-bell



PATENT OFFICE.

MANLEY A. WHITE, OF BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS.

DIVING-BELL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 4, 1921.

Application filed August 21, 1919. Serial No. 319,015.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MANLEY A. WHITE, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Beverly, in the county of Essex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented new and Improved Diving-Bells, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in hydraulicdevices, and it pertains more particularly to means for facilitatingsubmarine operations.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a device whichmay be lowered beneath the surface of the water into contact with thebed of the water to permit of mechanical operations thereon.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for expelling thewater from within the device after the same has been placed in itsoperative position. a

A still further object of the invention is to provide means inconnection with such a device whereby the air pressure within the samemay be regulated at the will of the operator.

lVith the above and other objects in view, reference is had to theaccompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional Viewofthe device showing the same placed in its operative position;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 2-2 of F ig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view'of a portion of a modified form of theinvention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the device comprises ashell 5 in the form of an inverted member of substantiallysemi-spherical shape. Secured to the upper inner portion of the shell 5,is a bracket 6, and pivotally mounted in said bracket 6, is a dependingarm or link 7, this arm being pivotally mounted as at 8. The arm 7comprises two members 9 and 10, which are secured at their lower endstothe top wall 11 of a compartment 12, said compartment beingsubstantially air tight. The compartment 12 is preferably inthe form ofa boat or barge, and on its interior side, said compartment-isprovidedawith' a. motor 13 and a pump 14:, said pump 14 being of theaircompressor type. Leading from the pump 14 to the interior of theshell 5, is an air pipe 15, and leading from the exterior of the shell 5into the compartment 12 and the pump 11, is an air-line 16, saidair-line 16 being secured to a suitable flexible line 17 on the exteriorof the shell, said flexible line 17 extending to the surface of thewater in which the shell 5 is submerged.

Leading from the airline 16, near its lower end, is a pipe 18, and saidpipe eX- tends into the interior of the compartment 12, as at 19, and iscontrolled by means of a valve 20. The reference character 21 designatesa pipe leading from the interior of the compartment 12 to the interiorof the shell 5, and said pipe is controlled by means of a valve 22.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that as the motor 13 isoperated, the pump 14 will likewise be operated to draw air into thecompartment through the line 16. The air is then forced to the interiorof the shell 5 through the pipe 15. i

In order that the air pressure in the compartment 12 may be regulated,the valve 20 may be opened, in which case the interior of thecompartment 12 is in direct communication with the atmosphere throughthe medium of the pipe 16 and the flexible pipe 17. i If, however,greater air pressure within the compartment 12 is desired, the valve 22may be opened to permit of the air entering the compartment 12 from theinterior of the shell 5. It will be understood that the pressure in theshell 5 is greatly in excess of that in the compartment 12, since it isthe air pressure in the shell 5 which is utilized to force the waterfrom the-said shell when the device is submerged.

Leading from the upper portion of the shell are pipes 25, and said pipes25 have extensions 26, which lie within the shell. In the extensions 26are valves 27, by means of which the passage of air from the interior ofthe shell to the exterior thereof for the purpose of ventilation, may beregulated.

As heretofore stated, the depending arm orlink 7"is pivotally mounted asat 8, and in a) order to maintain the same in a vertical position,resilient elements are employed, said resilient elements being connectedto eyes 31 and 32 in the depending arm 7 and the shell 5, respectively.

Arranged on the exterior of the shell 5, at diametrically oppositepoints are water-tight doors 35. These water-tight doors 35 are hingedlysecured, as at 36, to the interior of the shell, and these doors aremaintained in their closed position by means of dogs or the like 37.

Mounted at diametrically opposite points on the exterior of the shell 5and adjacent the water-tight doors 35, are compartments 38. Each ofthese compartments 38 comprises a hinge member pivoted to the exteriorof the shell as at 39, said members being adapted to swing upwardly whenreleased.

For securing the compartments 38 in the position shown in Fig. 1, a bolt40 is employed, and this bolt is pivotally secured as at 41, to theinner face of the compartment 38, and has its inner end passing throughan opening in the wall of the shell and engaged by means of a nut 42. Ifdesired, more than one bolt may be used to each compartment, to hold thesame in its closed position.

Mounted in the compartments 38 are suitable receptacles 43, and thesereceptacles are adapted to carry material, tools and the like, in orderthat they may be accessible when the device is submerged. The referencecharacter designates suitable ballast, which in the present instance isshown in the form of iron cast integral with the exterior of the shell,but it is to be understood that ballast which is unattached to theshellmay be employed if desired.

As shown at 46, the device may be pro vided with windows, by means ofwhich light may be projected through the water for the purpose ofexploring exterior of the shell, and while in the present instance buttwo windows are shown, it is to be understood that any number founddesirable may be employed.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The workmen having positioned themselves within the compartment 12, bymeans of the door 50, the device is submerged until it comesnearly intocontact with the bed or bottom of the body of water in which theoperation is to take place. It is, of course, understood that a certainamount of water will be within the bell 5, after the same has reachedthis position. To expel water the motor 13 and pump 14 are operated toforce air through the pipe 15. After the water has been expelled, thedoor is opened and the workmen proceed to the interior of the shell 5,where suitable operations may be carried out. It is evident that asuitable hoisting means may be attached to the shell as at 51, in orderthat the same may be raised and lowered as desired.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 6, the reference characterdesignates the upper portion of a shell similar to that above described,which, however, is of considerably larger dimensions, and in this formof the invention, the upper portion of the shell is provided with a trapdoor 61, which is pivoted as at 62, and is provided with a dog 63 of theordinary construction, by means of which the trap door 6 is held closed.

In this form of the invention a small shell 5 is lowered until the samerests on the larger shell 60, as designated in Fig. 3, and after thewater has been expelled from both shells, the trap door 61 is opened andaccess to the larger shell is obtained through the hatch opening 64.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A device of the character described comprising an inverted shell ofsemi-spherical form, means for submerging said shell, a compartmentpivotally suspended within said shell, and means carried by saidcompartment and operated to expel the water from the shell when thelatter is in its operative position.

2. A device of the character described comprising a shell of invertedsemi-spherical form, means for submerging said shell, a compartmentpivotally supported and suspended within said shell, means carried bysaid compartment, for expelling water from said shell, and separatemeans for supplying air to said compartment.

3. A device of the character described comprising a shell of invertedsemi-spherical form, a compartment suspended within the shell, anair-line leading to said compartment, means for forcing air from saidair-line to the interior of the shell, means for conducting air fromsaid air-line to the interior of the compartment, and separate means forconducting air from the interior of the shell to the interior of thecompartment substantially as described.

4. A device of the character described comprising a shell oi.substantially inverted semi-spherical form, a compartment suspendedwithin said shell, means for supplying air to said compartment, aplurality of compartments mounted exteriorly of the shell and carriedthereby, water-tight doors establishing communication between theinterior of said shell and said exterior complartlments, and means forsubmerging said s el 5. A device of the character described comprisingan inverted shell of semi-spherical form, an air-.tighteompartmentpivot:

ally mounted Within the shell and suspended from the upper portionthereof, resilient means for maintaining said air-tight compartment in asubstantially central position, means for submerging the shell, anair-line leading from the exterior to the interior of said compartment,a pump for drawing air into the compartment and delivering the same tothe interior'of the shell, means for delivering air to the interior ofthe compart- 1O ment from said air-line, means for delivering air to theinterior of the compartment from the interior of the shell, and meansfor controlling the flow of air through each of said delivering means,substantially as de- 15 scribed.

MANLEY A. WHITE.

